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Saturday, January 28, 2012

It's a Saturday

And I've got nothing to knit.

Let me explain a little. I've really got a lot to knit. I've got plenty of knitting, it's all over the place, I've got about three projects within arms reach. (The knitting basket is right next to my desk, how convenient.)

But the problem is that, aside from the entrelac, I don't have anything I WANT to knit. The entrelac will probably be finished this weekend, and I haven't got a clue about what to do to replace it. For the first time in forever, I don't know what I want to knit next.

I wonder into the place where I keep most of my yarn and I look at say, the sock yarn. I look at it, and I just see yarn. I don't see potential, I don't see miles of fun and infinite possibilities, I just see yarn. That's spooky.

I think about starting another sweater, even though I've got two close by, but they're not fun. I think maybe a cabled sweater. I start to imagine what it has, what it looks like, even what yarn I should use. Then I think cables? Is that really what I'm about right now, do I really want to knit cables? Colorwork? Can I really take a PLAIN sweater now? Don't I already have a bunch of those started?

In response to this . . . despondent feeling (really, I can take HUGE amounts of indirection in my personal life, but not in my knitting) I've decided something. I'm going to go around the house and do a few rows on every unfinished thing that I've got laying around, (not really that many, not more than ten) and see if anything takes. Good plan?

Yes? No? Is this thing on? I'm seriously considering moving to Typepad, or some other place where people who don't have a google account can comment. Is that a good idea too? What does that reader from India think?

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I finished Something!

And it's not Entrelac. I took a brief break from knitting those little squares to finish up the Baby Surprise Jacket. Last night I took it too Knit Nite to deal with the seams there. All it took was an hour and a crochet hook and I was done with it. (Aside from the part where I have to sew buttons on it, which will wait for a baby)




Another Baby Surprise Jacket, knit out of my leftovers. My gauge was a little off, so it's larger. We'll call it the toddler surprise Jacket.

Wow, these pictures aren't half bad. I may be getting better at this.

I know that I'm the one who asked for a spinning wheel, but it's really starting to cut into my knitting time. It's highly additive, and I really am beginning that I like spinning more than knitting. Or at least what I'm knitting, really, the Entrelac is really the only fun thing that I'm working on. The boring sweater which probably will be abandoned soon, the boring socks which still need to get off the ground. I'm looking forward to starting something new and exciting. Which I won't be able to do if I don't back away from the wheel slowly.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

A confession and a new project in that order

First, the confession --

Knitted slipcovers is indeed a bad idea. While I do love me some crazy and/or highly obsessive projects, I think that this one might truly be the one that breaks the camels back. This might be too much even for me. First off, there was the thing about how I wasn't able to cast on 350 stitches in a 45minute episode of Buffy. Then there was the issue of what edging to do. I fixed that, and then when I started the body, I realized that there was a twist in the cast on. I knew I would have to rip back a little. Fine, I can live with that.

Then, while it was off the needles, I tried it on the chair. Let's just say, the size of the start, resembled the size of my chair the same way that my house resembles the Sarah Winchester Mansion. (Though, they both have few straight lines, her's was intentional though.)

Sigh, it was a dumb idea anyway. I'll let Debbie New figure this one out.

A new Project --

Yesterday I took a class over at Cornerstone Yarns* on Entrelac. Yes, Entrelac, my nemesis. And I'm sorry to say.


I've defected and gone to the other side. My new name is Alexander Beaverhousien. This site is now named Alex Knits Communist Style.

Really a lot easier than I thought it would be. I'm a little ashamed to admit how silly it was to be afraid of this. I love how medative the little squares are, the neat way that they interlock (I'm sensing the origin of the name) together.

Love, simply, totally love it.

*What I have to say about this yarn shop is that they've got beautiful yarns, pleasant and knowledgeable staff. It's well lit, well staffed, and perfectly welcoming. However, it's got the price to match. I'll stick to my Jo Ann's, and save this LYS stuff for when I'm a rich and famous author.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Knitted Slipcovers

Saying that makes people look at you a little funny. I've learned to ignore it, but I suggest you practice shrugging when you plan a project this big, because believe me, you'll get some pretty odd looks. I personally like to keep in mind the fact that no project is too ambitious if you crave the result enough. I think there was something about that over at Mason-Dixon Knitting (link on side bar, and I strongly urdge you to take a look) a few days ago, which is probably the only reason that it's in my head.

I've got about half of an inch of my slipcover. That's a lot better than yesterday. Maybe tomorrow I'll break one inch, but don't hold your breath. I personally kind of like having this big of a project. It's like baking bread (which I did today) you just feel better for doing it. Depending on how sick of this thing by the time I'm done (probably about ready to choke myself with it.) I may even add a cushion to the cover. This ain't exactly the most comfortable chair, and could use a little padding.

But my plan of action is to simply cast on at the bottom of the chair, and knit till I get to the seat. I'll put that on a holder and wait till I'm ready for it. Then, I'll knit a strip that's as wide as the top of the back, pick up stitches all around it, and then knit till I get the to the seat. Then I'll graft the back of the back to the back of the legs (follow that?). Then I'll work on the front of the seat to the front of the back, and then graft there. The sides of the legs will be bound off, and sewn to the sides of the seat.

This would be a lot easier to understand if you could see the hand gestures that I make while I do it.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

What's on my needles?

A much better question would be what isn't on my needles. I've got a lot on the go, but yet it feels like I've got nothing. All the projects, except one, are at the stage where they need a little counting, a little TLC and a little caring. I'm a little short on all those things at the moment. I'll do it, I'll just mutter bad things while I do it.

Anyway, here, in list format, you have my knitting. (Heaven help you.)

1. Finally, the knitting slipcover is on the needles, almost. Earlier today, I sat down and in a 45 minute episode of Buffy, I was only able to cast on 280, of the 350 that I need. I still can't believe this. I just can't. I can't believe that I need 350 (Well, I can, I just don't want to. I am going to cover 70 inches around). It's just unfathomable that I can't cast on 350 stitches in 45 minutes. I thought I could cast on ANYTHING in 45 minutes.

Tomorrow probably, I'll do a detailed post about my plans for this . . . bigness. That way, you can point out to me that it uh, might not have any relation to reality. I'll be lucky if I live to tell the tale at this one.

 
2. A pair of socks that haven't been seeing that much action. I work on them now and then, great for car knitting. I have to do a little counting so I can figure out where to put the toe. I need to get on these, I can't have too many pairs of socks.















3. The sweater that never ends. I'm actually working on this, and it's the one project that I don't have to count. I really am liking working on this thing, something that I never did before. I'm on the back of it, with one front and one sleeve finished. The sleeve cap doesn't look like it will really, uh, fit into the cap for it, but I think that is normal for set in sleeves. I'm prepared to fix and/or fudge it. This sweater might actually end. Not anytime soon, I started this thing in like June.

4. The Baby Surprise Jacket. I don't think that I've ever not had one of these things on the needles. Or at least it kind of feels that way. I still haven't sewn the (TWO!) seams on the other one, but I'll do them both at the same time. Don't ask me why, but I think it'll be a good way to put this thing to rest. I still love the pattern with this odd and deep love, but to be honest, I'm getting a little sick of it. I'm considering making the adult one (four times the knitting, four times the fun!) but that will be . . . later.

I want to do some color work soon too. I mean like Fair Isle, thought those mittens the Yarn Harlot is churning out seem to look pretty good as well.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

What?

Okay, so you know the sweater below, the one that I said I liked a little. Well, I've change my mind. A while ago, I decieded that I didn't want to keep looking at it in the state that it was in. So, I just did a crochet steek up the center, chop, chop, chop. I have a cardigan. I'll post pictures of it once I get up the gumption to sew in a zipper, and can find someone to take a picture of the sweater.

Other that that, I really am not knitting anything now. I'll probably pull out a WIP and let it have a few hours of attention till I feel that I'm ready to start my forray into knitting upolstery. (I swear, I thought that this would be a bigger idea than it was. I tell people my plans and they just look at me.) I just swatched for it, and I think that I'll even that swatch. It's one thing to get bitten by a sweater that's to big, but when you're doing something as crazy big as knitting a slipcover, you need to watch this kind of stuff.

I take back that whole not knitting anything at the moment. I am working on the Baby Surprise Jacket. But that is out for a few days for two reasons. One, I have to count. Two because I have to pace myself on this thing a little. It is a Knit-A-Long after all, and I'm blowing them out of the water. I want to finish first, but I don't want to finish too soon. It doesn't help that I knit fast, and this was really the only thing I worked on for several days and nights.

 I've got some mindless socks on the needles because I like to keep them on the needles, but I hate to use those for my main, go-to knitting, it feels like I'm cheating. So I'll probably pull out the sweater that never ends, and maybe help it get a little closer for to that end.

It also dosn't help that I've got a really restless feeling. About everything. Writing, knitting, reading, all of that feels slightly off. I don't know why, but the only thing that really feels right is spinning. Of course, having to re-write a >60,000 word novel by the end of March means that I'll have to hunker down a little, whether I want to or not. I will, I just won't want to. I think I need to go for a long walk.

I think that I may even want to get startitis.*

*To non-knitters, this means that you have the inexplicable urge to start and finish a whole bunch of knitting. I usually hate it, but I think that it would be good for that restless feeling if I channeled it into something. Sane people would tell me that I should get out a little bit more, and maybe get those knitting books off my desk.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Is that a sweater?

Today was going to be about what's on my needles, but well, night before last had other plans. I finished up a little sweater that I had on the needles, and now it feels like a lot less. Maybe a few days worth of knitting and then I can move on to THE BIG THING. Now, I really feel like I could start it, but I'll wait a day or two. (That and because I'm spinning Alpaca.)

But I finished a sweater two days ago, washed it today, and on the third day I present it to you, and the reasons why I don't really like it.

Though I do like it more in this picture

It makes me feel frumpy though. You know what I mean. I've lost a lot of weight, and I really haven't been able to adjust myself to it yet. This would have been great for the pre-weight loss, but now it's just to big. This is odd, given that I made the pattern up to fit. The main issue is the sleeves, which are too big. If I was feeling really energetic I could rip them out, and then decrease more while I knit them. Yeah, I'll get right on that. Just as soon as I finish licking the kitchen floor clean.

I'll wear it for a while though, Maybe it'll grow on me.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Whinging it without much reason

Forgive the radio silence, it's been what, four days. I'm working right now toward finishing a book (writing) and I'm so close that I can taste it. I bet that this weekend I wrote more words that you spoke. I'm not joking.

And I've been knitting a lot too. I've got, let me count . . . four things on the needles, but that's not counting all the stuff that's dead in the water (and I'm feeling like re-starting a lot of them, but I'm resisting). Four things really isn't that much, but it feels like a lot. I'll have to do one of those "On My Needles posts" soon. Maybe Wednesday  . . .

It probably doesn't help that I've got about half a cold this week. Not enough so that way I could reasonably call myself sick, make some tea and head off to bed. I'm just sick enough to feel miserable as I move through the day to day stuff. Though I've been getting a little bit better, it's just slow.
In short I really just don't know why I'm bothering to write this. I could be knitting something, I could be finishing one of those four things. Why? Why? Why? It's probably because it's nice to write as ME for once. Not this character or that, but ME! I swear, if you're a narcissist who's looking for a cure, just write a book in the third person. It's the last time I do it for something this big. I much prefer first person.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Obsession: Spinning

 Over the past few days, this:

Became this:



An unknown amount of some unknown fiber, which will become a hat, pattern: unknown. Ever get the feeling that you're trying to draw your hand without looking at the paper, this whole hank of yarn was that feeling.

Now I'm working on two things, spinning some yarn that my cat tried to prep for me. (Hint: cats kneed things before they sleep) and then I'll ply it with some more of this fiber that I'm going to spin sock weight. Finally, a plan, however loose. I'll probably use that with some other sock yarn that I spun on the drop spindle earlier this year. (It was right after the dawn of pictures on this blog.)

The other thing that I am working on is clearing the deck of all those things that I'm working on. Really a lot less than I thought it would be. Just a sweater and then I'll be able to start the knitted upholstery of my dreams. (You read that right, I'm knitting slipcovers, more when I finally deem myself ready to start.)

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The last FO of 2011

These were finished last year, I just never got around to documenting them, what with the holiday rush and whatnot. Actually I really could have, but, I just didn't feel like it. You know the feeling.



Yarn: A Goodwill find, as everyone was disappointed to hear. I really didn't enjoy knitting with it, it kind of made me a little obsessive with finding ways to get the little bobbles to appear on the right side. I'll let you know as soon as I figure that one out.

Pattern: I made it up, CO 56sts on a US 3, work in 2x2 ribbing till you get really tired of it, make a flap heel, knit the foot, and then make a toe. Easy Peasy!

These, when I worked on them, were a really quick knit. I started them late in November, but were pushed aside later when I decided to let Christmas take over my life. (We really didn't need THAT many cookies.) When I worked on them though, they just flew by. I think about a whole sock was knit at the hospital, giving me a very Clara Barton* feeling of knitting by the bedside. I finished it at Knit Nite, and sat in a Barnes and Nobel for about an hour with no shoes on, wearing these socks.

Tomorrow, Spinning! (I find I post more often when I tell you I've got something planned.)


*I recently took the Carl Jung personality test as a joke, and she was really the only person on the list of people who have my personality type that I cared to be like. (Clara Barton is the founder of the Red Cross.) The other three, and I don't know why I'm admitting this: Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Ronald Regan. People tell me I would make a good politician, but I really resent that.

Monday, January 2, 2012

What a Year!

This year has been a reall roller coaster for me. Constantly filled with highs, lows, ups, downs, a couple of loop-d-loops, and sometimes where the whole thing threatened to turn me out. Here's a short list of what this year held for me.

1. I re-learned how to walk.
2. I finished a book.
3. I finished another book.
4. I started another book, which needs about another months worth of work to have a first draft done.
5. Someone really read part of my first book, and they were very surprised to find that it is actually not crap. I was even more surprised.
6. I spent a lot of time with my physical therapist(s), and I was very pleased to go from that doctor/patient, to that good aquantices sort of thing. (In a good way.)
7. I got back into reading, and just since I did that, I've read, let me count . . . 17 books. Wow, I've been busy. I credit this to finding a great used bookshop.
8. I started learning to drive, a little late, but better late then never. (Which, given my fear of the wide open road, we may, may, get to that point. I'd rather walk a mile, or more, than drive it.)
9. I learned that if I really needed to, I could use my great hip-strenth to lift a car off of myself.
10. I knit myself . . . 6 sweaters this year. Plus one for my mother, so that makes seven total, with a lot in progress.

This also has been a great year for getting a lot of great blogs to read, and in turn, getting a few great readers of my own. I'm proud to call you friends, even in the geeky, I-don't-even-know-what-you-look-like kind of way. Let's all get together in a big room together and knit and talk till we pass out. Sound like fun?

I've got a lot of resoulutions I've, made, most of them in the informal, forget about in a few weeks kind of way. But last year I was feeling much more productive this time of year, so lets take a look at what I thought

My New Years Knitting Reasolutions (Aside from learning to SPELL!) (I can't believe I let that go for a whole year I'm suddenly SO embarrassed.)


1. To knit from stash as much as posssible.

Excellent, I knit from the stash, almost all year. I only bought yarn once, (twice if you count fiber fairs, which I don't, and it was one skein of sock yarn). Of course, the stash grew this year, due to my love of recycling old sweaters, and people who give me yarn, because, well, I'm likable, (not at all cocky) a pretty good knitter, young, and a male, all of which knitters love. (And Goodwill, but that doesn't count either.)
2.To keep the number of WIP around 5.
HAH! Define WIP!

3. To not buy any yarn that I would consider subpar.

As far as I can remember, I passed this one with flying colors. I may have aquired yarn that wasn't up to my standards. (I'm so picky, must work on that.)
4. To learn to do entrelac.

This year, I swear. A knitting friend of mine is going to take a class on it, and she's generously offered to let me tag long.
5. To learn to do the long tail cast on.

Did that one on New Year's day, right after I posted the (mis-spelled) resoulutions. See, I wasn't lying about the perky productiveness.

I don't think I'll be doing this again. While it was nice, it felt pretty silly to have those things posted on the side bar in July. Ya know what I mean.

And while I'd like to join all those knit alongs, the ones where you knit 12 shawls in 2012, or 12 garmets, or something, I don't think I have it in me. I'm still tried from the holidays (And still eating the leftovers). Not to mention that I don't like having my knitting governed by what I was thinking in January. I also don't like faliure, and there is no way that I can knit 12 sweaters in one year, so I'm not going to set myself up for faliure.

My main goals for this year are to meditate daily. Run daily. (I usually can do one or the other, but not both in one day.) Blog more, stand up for myself, and speak my mind (heaven help those around me, I think some . . . not nice thoughts, lets amend this one to speak my mind more.)

P.S. Like the new look?